An Introduction to the Akawaio and Arekuna Peoples of Guyana

AKAWAIO TRADITIONAL STORY:- "How the trail between
Karupung and Kamarsmg was established

Engli sh ( Lite ral tr anis lat ion )

Altawaio-Orthography

Title :-"Naigaza ema Kiribing moreO^ai
kamrang borpng eseeboropi*

Title"- "How the-traal Kuuruupuung and

Kamaurang between was - established*

Pena yeej iipi piiyaikma
gomangnobbk Kiribing airb.
Kamrang boo nbrd gomang nobok
eejiiplag^aiwaio warawok tinopi
Keenang, azaro Kapong eenii/amuuguiipb
boona azaro pidamuuguupo Kaijarong
miunganbk. Tamboro warawokamok
pee tok eejiipi noTO.; Pizamoro
zundngnami Korotau piiy edkma
ye^lpif -tok neediibidli, etanero
tok enguiiruuhgpi epana. Tok
ablrlndeoie azsuro warawokasBok
achiipiiiyav tok pida bok tok
eewatbik morbbanggong chiuigaqpiida
wenausoogoibee tok aro rawaro
Seero kuubip^iya tekmagong
iituudokya namaik. Piiyaikioa tok
aroi t'iiiibro iiwiktak moratai tok
wonopiiiy a tok kambito raworo •
Woi kaijarb sezb kuuning.bee
Uyeejilpx.

Tuuronb w5i atai oozoura:a
yencnggaz£Ucgong ebanamapi
t^gorotaunogong se^ee tuugsdk;
piiyaikma yeezak atai ganang
uuronbgong azena eegii euuruuruui
adbkgoiig bee« WorSttaiijii yatbiya
x»gong atai eegii suurUaruur
mtOcdtbdok 'kbng' bee ema dak .
Mdratai eibli^ihdssak ditai ema
iituudok kong bee.

Long-ago was giant

Iiving-Kun5>ung ne aur #

Kamarang on aiso. living

was Akswaio man.wi^e

with, two peopleT fingers

added-to two toes in-inumbea: (twelve)

children. All boys:

were /they was also* These

playing %^ile giant

came; they got-frightened, -however
they ranained quiet. They
escaping two boys ,

he-held, they feet on ;tii^
tied thai hang^j^he'
upside-^down they carried before. ;
This he-did thsir-trail
know prevent-^to « : Giant they
car??ied his h^iiser into then they
he-ki lied they smoked before •
Day-iJ^^PWDaber .this he-doing
was.

Another day at- that-time three
left-that-were advised
among-themselves like this;
giant comes at-that-time again
us to-cariy cassaya flour
carry-we will. AhdrstheHk' carrying
uis at-that-time cassavtf fi<>ur^
throw we will trail into.
Then Escaping at- the^tiroe trail
]cnow we will.

47.

Pada eemazak atai tok
indbi azutaningneuigzafia tesenggazaro.
lingeekuu brttro tok eesak korotau
tiiyaiiatti niyeebiii, tok achii
tok abirimi Ibrotauv Teseng gazaro
tok ewatbb6diii wenasoogooibee
norbbang ya tok arqpi. Tuudbgong
korotau warawOkAmok ya ^egii
suuruuruui tlngnaropigosig mak6ro£>i
ema dak, piiyaikm^ ya. iituiabra
yetane* Ono brarb tok dpzak
etanepiiyaikma etuuruumazak
ya tok nogapi wik piragong boo
xDozobang dopi ciiinggoogoik boona
inguuruungzekna. Yee chingchingma
korotau tok ruui bee teseng ya
tok eugap'i. Aaakai tok ruui ya
piiyalkma suubarai annungpi
raorbbang ya piiyalkma abong
diinggoogoik agldlpSL.
Piiyaikifia indanokai wik eebii
booi soron^ang yak exicbng bee
braro. Itoratai wara»K>kaBi6k
enapqpi eegii suuruvuruui emapigaikiwa.
Nbro chigorb ena eknoga^'i
Kiribing booi dongnodok Kamrang
geng bcona* Eegii suuruuruui
naJcbiop'i warawokambk ya
chigbrd.

place wiis-morning at *^ that- time they

went to-play as*>usual.

Long not-after they were while

giarit camej they held-he

they escaping while. As usual

they tied-up \]^side-down

then did they carri^d-*he« Going,

while boys did cassava

flour carried-tbey threw

trail into giant did loipw-npt

without. E!£u: not they wen^

without giant weeury

did they left-he mountain foot on

then went swing on

to-rest. . He .swinging-swinging

while they big-brother will as did

they untied. .Quietly t^ey. big-brother did

giant cutlass tpok-he,

then did giant seat

swing, cut-he.

Giant fell-dowi^; mountain edge.

off valley into seen w^li

not-to-be. T\\€a. boys

went-home. €;2issaya flour follpwiivgf.«

That siAce.. tr£d.l left-was

Kurupung off to-go Kamarang

mouth on. Cassava flour,

threw-boys did

since.

FREE TRANSLATION

, Long ago there was a giant living near Kurupung. At Kamarang lived an
ifeawaio with his wife and twelve children/ all of whom were boys.

Oie day while the boys were playing, the giant came. Ifhe boys were afraidi
hut they remained still. Then, as they tried to escape, he caught two of then.

kB.

The giant tied th6ir.:£e£t..and hel^ them \;^side down to prevent ^em: fxom. seeing
whidi way he Mas carrying them. He carried thorn home and roasted them fpr dinner*
Each day he returned to seize more boys until only three were left.

At last the three, repaining boys decided to play a trick on the giant •
They pleuined to take cassava flour with thesai so that when the, 9:iant was c£u:rying
them away, they %^uld sprinkle the flour on the trail in order to know which
way they were ^oing.

The following day the boys went to play sis usual. The giant came and caught
them. While he was carrying them home, the boys threw flour on the trail without
the giant knowing. They had not gone far when the giant felt tired. He placed
the boys at the foot of & mountain. Then he climbed up the mountain and rested
on a swing made of vines. While the giant was resting, the eldest of the three
brothers managed to free himself. Then he released his brothers. He climbed to
the place *rtiere the giant was resting, took the giant's cutlass and cut the vines.
The giant fell over the edge of the mountain and was killed. Then the boys
returned home by following the trail of cassava flour. Ever since that time the
trail from Kurupung to Kamaurang was established.

Edwards, Walter F. 1977. An Introduction to the Akawaio and Arekuna
Peoples of Guyana. Guyana: Georgetown University.